Extensible Markup Language “XML” is a flexible way to generate common, easily-exchanged information formats and share both the format and the data on the World Wide Web, internal networks, and elsewhere. XML is similar to hypertext markup language (HTML). Both XML and HTML include markup tags to describe a file or page's contents. HTML describes the content in terms of how the content is displayed while XML structures, stores, and transports information. Thus, an XML file can be processed purely as data by a program. Alternately, the XML file can be displayed or stored.
While HTML uses predefined tags, XML permits a developer of an XML document or fragment to define tags. Almost any data item can be identified using a XML tag. The standard method to allow an XML document to be created, accessed, or modified is with a document object model (DOM). A standardized specification has been developed that defines the interfaces for the different objects comprising the DOM, but does not provide any specifics for how a DOM should be implemented. Therefore, a programming language that utilizes a DOM compliant with the standard will produce an instance of that DOM that is language-neutral and platform-independent, regardless of how the underlying language implements the model.
Therefore, there is a need for a security process and system capable of discreetly marking files, marking files with authenticity data, efficiently searching for instances of the marked files internally and externally, and determining file alterations/modifications/actions.